WINDMILLS AND PUMPS. 245 



engine pumping plant is shown in Figure 69, and a 

 windmill plant in operation in Figure 70. 



Buying a Windmill. In selecting a windmill 

 the first point to look at is the age and standing of the 

 firm making the article. There is no class of machinery 

 that should be investigated with more care than a wind- 

 mill. Examine the machine offered and see that it is 

 well built. See that the iron work is heavy and substan- 

 tial, the wheel well braced, the journals well babbitted, 

 the fans securely fastened to the arms, and that the vane 

 or tail is supported by means of a truss brace. In fact, 

 see that it is not a sham, made to sell and not to work. 

 It must be safe to stand through the heaviest storm. 

 Its strength and apparent construction for durability 

 should be the standard of its worth. The lowest ma- 

 chine in price is not often the cheapest machine to buy. 



A first-class windmill should, with a fair amount of 

 care, do good service for twenty to twenty-five years with 

 a very small amount of expense for repairs. Some of 

 the oldest manufacturers can refer to their work that 

 has been in constant service for a longer time than that 

 mentioned. Remember that the tower, pump, tank, etc., 

 that go to make up a complete outfit, all cost as much for 

 a poor, unreliable mill as for a good one. A modern idea 

 is to have an all-steel plant, and this is quite an item 

 for the consideration of those living in the arid regions, 

 where the climate is exceedingly severe on all woodwork. 

 Be sure to get a mill strong enough to do the heaviest 

 work in a light wind, and do not expect a ten-foot wheel 

 to do the work of a fourteen-foot wheel. 



Erecting Windmills. One thing of importance 

 in this connection is to elevate the tower sufficiently high 

 to place the lower curve of the wheel at least ten feet 

 above all obstructions, such as trees, buildings, hills, etc., 

 that the mill may have a free current of air from all 

 directions. Mistakes are often made in placing mills too 



